Royal Stoke University Hospital is preparing to become the UK’s largest center for robotic surgery. They would like to see them supporting a staggering 500,000 operations annually by 2035. The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) shared the news of a particularly promising trust-wide initiative in 2023-24. Robots will help doctors perform 70,000 surgical procedures using robotic assistance, representing a huge leap in medical technology at the facility.
Royal Stoke is growing its robotic surgery program. We believe this growth can continue to deliver major benefits for patients and the healthcare system as a whole. Due to the success of the initiative, the city now projects saving about 5,000 bed days annually. This will allow hospitals to better manage their staff and resources. As we look toward the next decade, robotic assistance will be at the forefront of care at Royal Stoke. Ninety percent of all keyhole surgeries, including removing organs affected by cancer, will be done with this revolutionary technology.
Robotic surgery is on track to be the preferred approach for most procedures at Royal Stoke. This deep strategic investment will soon position the hospital as a regional center of excellence for all things robotics. Consequently, more than 1,000 patients each year will see improved outcomes. The state-of-the-art robotic technologies will help with some of the most complex, precise and minimally invasive surgeries – from emergency to heart surgery.
Royal Stoke is already making waves with a groundbreaking development. They have an ambitious goal to develop new technology that will enable surgeons to sense tissue resistance in real time during surgery. This creative and exciting new type of approach has the potential to increase the precision and success of surgical practice. Royal Stoke recently made headlines by becoming the first hospital in England to adopt the “Magic Leap” surgical system. This groundbreaking technology allows surgeons to view detailed 3D visualizations of a patient’s spine using custom virtual reality headsets.
Consultant colorectal surgeon Philip Varghese emphasised the importance of the development, saying
“This expansion significantly strengthens our ability to deliver robotic surgery across a wider range of complex procedures.” – Philip Varghese, consultant colorectal surgeon at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).
The hospital’s gleaming new facility takes up several city blocks, with the first few floors wrapped in brilliant red and yellow insulation. Inside, you’ll see the kind of state-of-the-art white robotic equipment that’s already proving vital to this initiative. We are committed to building surgical capacity. This commitment strengthens our larger mission of connecting the communities we serve to better healthcare in both access and outcomes.
Coates, a representative from UHNM, emphasized the community impact of this project:
“Supporting projects that make a lasting difference to local communities remains a core focus of the foundation.” – Coates.
He further added,
“This investment will allow more patients across the region to benefit from world-leading surgical care closer to home.” – Coates.